Alex White to pitch in relief this season

2014 Astros: Game-by-game

ANAHEIM, Calif. — The injured pitchers are on their way.

Righty Asher Wojciechowski (right lat strain) made his first minor league rehab start Wednesday for Class AAA Oklahoma City allowing one run on four hits in four innings. In the next couple days, righty Alex White is to make his first minor league rehab appearance since undergoing Tommy John surgery last April — as a reliever.

Although general manager Jeff Luhnow believes that White, a 25-year-old righty, is a starter in the longterm, his path to the majors this season is clearer and perhaps safer as a reliever this season.

“In my mind he’s a starter, but given that he had the surgery last year, given our depth in starting pitching with (Jake) Buchanan now firmly in that mix, Wojo back in that mix, (Paul) Clemens, etc., we really feel like his best chance of making to the big leagues this year is in the bullpen, and we also would like to protect his arm,” Luhnow said. “I talked to him about it and he was perfectly fine. He said, ‘Whatever you think is the fastest way.’”

White made the Astros rotation out of spring training last season but the surgery erased his season.

Wojciechowski has never pitched in the major leagues and is likely to be optioned to Class AAA Oklahoma City any time now. There’s no clear need for him in the majors at this moment.

White is expected to need more than one rehab relief appearance before he’s activated, but it seems possible that he could be added to the major league roster when he’s ready.

“He could,” Luhnow said of whether White could go directly to the majors off the DL. “They (Wojciechowski and White) both could, but Alex was on the team. He made the team last year. We’ll take it outing by outing.”